lambert



(Model.) l

T. S. LAMBERT.

Patented Nov. 9,1880.

Inv ento'r Thermus AS1. Lavwberl To all whom t may concern:

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS S. LAMBERT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

' BOX.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 234,297, dated November 9, 1880.

Application filed August 7, 1880.

Be it known that I, THoMAs S. LAMBERT, a citizen ot' the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of this invention relates to a box adapted for the transportation of confections in the mails, and also for other purposes; and it has for its object to produce a box that shall be cheaply made, sufficiently strong to resist the pressure and concussions to which it may be subjected during transportation of a light weight, in order to economizein postage; easily opened and safely closed, so that its contents may be readily inspected and the box then securely closed after such inspection; air-tight to preserve the confections in a soft, fresh state, and also to prevent any leakage of such portion of the confection as may become unduly softened or melted by exposure ot' the box to a high degree of temperature; of a shape which will not have sharp corners nor projections calculated to injure the accompanying mailmatter, and also of such construction that when opened the inclosed confections will be well displayed.

To such end my improvementconsists in a box for transporting confections through the mails, the box-body made elliptic in cross-section, provided with'closed convex or rounded ends, and formed with an opening extending nearly from end to end, in combination with a cover of greater area than the area of the openingl which it closes, a flange more or less continuous arranged upon the under side of the cover and adapted to tit in to the opening in the box, and an elastic band stretched over said ilange and over the edge of the cover, and having a movable partition or partitions arranged within the box; also, lugs or catches projecting from the ange at one end of the box-cover and springs arranged at the other end of the cover so as to project into the box and act as springcatches; also, in the box comprising a body made elliptic in cross-section, with 4closed ends and an opening, in combination with a cover provided with a continuous dan ge, devices for securing the cover in place, an elastic band stretched over the ilange (Model.)

and the edge of the cover, and a movable partition arranged within the body of the box, and provided with recess to receive the lia-nge of the cover with the elastic band stretched over it, all as hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents, in perspective, a box for transporting confections in the mail, constructed in accordance with my improvement, the cover being in this instance removed in order to show more clearly the opening in the top of the box and also an adjustable partition in the box. Fig. 2 represents the cover in perspective, a portion of the elastic packing-band or gasket being broken away in order to show the flange and thelugs or catches. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken through the box with its cover tted thereto.

Like letters'in the several figures indicate like parts.

A designates the body of the box, which is made of an elliptical form in cross-section. The ends B B ot' the box are made concavoconvex, and are secured airtight to the body A, with their convex sides outward.

The oblong opening O extends nearly the entire length of the body A, narrow strips c c being left between the ends of the said opening and the ends of the box. These strips cc may be integral with the body A, or the said strips may be formed by securing separate pieces to the box.

The letter D designates the cover, which is made curved from side to side, so that when secured in place over the opening C its outer face will correspond to the general contour of the body of the box. This cover is made somewhat larger than the opening which it closes, so that its edges will t against the body of the box, as indicated by the sectional view, Fig. 3.

Upon the inner or under side, d, ot the cover is formed or secured a more or less continuous strip or dan ge, E, which should be about onequarter of an inch in width and located at about one-quarter ot' an inch from the edge of the cover. This iiange is formed so as to litagainst the side and end edges of the opening C, whereby, when the cover is iitted to the box, the

yilange will extend through the said opening,

while that portion d of the cover which is be- IOO tweenitsedge and the tlangewilllieover the top face, a c of the body of the box, around the opening.

As a means for securing the cover to the box, so as to guard against displacement when the box is transported, l provide the tiange E with short lugs or catches lJ I", which may be formed either by slitting the tiange and then bending down the material between such slits at right angles to the tiange, or, it' preferred, the lugs may be formed separately from the tlange and then secured thereto in any suitable way. A space about equal to the thickness of the material which composes the body A is left between these lugs and the inner or under side of the cover, so that when the latter is fitted to the box these lugs will tit against the inner wall of the body A. These lugs are preferably arranged at one end ot' the cover, so as to hold the same in position. while in order to secure the remaining end thereof I provide the cover with one or more springs, l, which, when the cover placed and pressed over the opening in the body of the box, pass with the ange through said opening and secure the cover at that end, as represented in Fig. .'5, which illustrates one ot` said springs. In or der, however, to tit the cover to thc box both air and water tight, I stretch a band of rubber, H, over its edge, as shown in Fig. 2, the said band being of suicient width to admit of its covering the tlange li, the edge of the cover, and also the upper surface of the cover l'or a distance about onelourth ot' an meh from its edge.

When the cover provided with this elastic packing or gasket 1s titted tothe box. the said gasket will, by reason of its tlexible and elastic properties, adapt itself to the eontbrmation of the joint between the body and the cover, and thus form an air-tight joint between the two.

The letter I designates a movable division or partition which is arranged within the body ofthe box, in order to strengthen its walls and enable them to resist external pressure which might otherwise indent or crush the walls so as to injure the inclosed confection. This partition consists of an oval-shaped plate made to tit against the interior surface of the body A, and it is formed with two recesses, i z', which receive theI tlange of the cover when the hox is closed. )lore than one of these partitions may be employed, if desired.

The edges of the body of the box about its openingr and the edges of the cover should usually be turned under, in order to stilen the parts. In use the box should be also wrapped in strong paper` upon which directions will be i written, and after being thus wrapped it; will be properly corded. I also propose stretching an elastic band, 11', around the box, so as to more securely hold the cover down, such band being preferably passed around the box and cover about the center thereof, or near that end of the cover which is provided with the springs G.

I have described the box as especially adapted for the transportation ot' confections in the mail. It may, however, be used for other purposes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a box for transporting confections through the mails, the box-body A, made elliptic in cross-section, provided with closed elliptical-formed ends, with an opening extending nearly from end to end, in combina tion with a coverof greater area than the area of the opening which it closes, and a tlange more or less continuous arranged upon the under side ot' the cover and adapted to tit into the opening ot' the box, and an elastic band stretched over said tlange and over the edge ofthe cover, all substantially as herein shown and described.

5. In a box for transporting confections through the mails, the combination, with the box-body A, provided with closed ends and with an opening, C, extending nearly from end to end ot' the cover D', a more or less continuous tiange, E, secured to the under side ofthe cover, of the lugs F, projecting from the tlange at one end of the cover, the springs G, arranged at the other end of the cover, and the elastic band II, stretched over the edge of the box and likewise over the said ilange, substantially as described.

3. The box comprising the body A, made elliptic in cross-section, with closed rounded ends and an o )enin C in combination with the cover l), provided with a flange, E, devices tor securing the cover in place, an elastic band, l1, stretched over the flange and the edge ofthe cover, and a movable partition, I, arranged within the body ofthe box, and provided with recesses i to receive the said ange with the elastic band stretched over it, substantially as specitied.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

TI IOM AS S. LAMBERT.

\`\'itnesses:

JAMES L. Nomos, .Luiss A. RU'rIIERFoRD.

IOO 

